Lieberman: Senate To Expand Secret Service Investigation

4/23/2012 12:05 PM ET

Sen. Joe Lieberman said Sunday that the Senate will expand on the investigation into the Secret Service sex scandal in Colombia.

The incident involved about 23 federal security personnel — 12 members of the Secret Service and 11 from the military — all part of a team that traveled to Colombia ahead of President Barack Obama's visit. Before the president's visit, the team allegedly brought about 21 prostitutes to a hotel in Cartagena.

Lieberman, who is also chairman of the Homeland Security Committee which oversees the Secret Service, said on Fox News Sunday that there is no evidence at this time that information was compromised.

However, Lieberman's concern is that the situation gives the Secret Service a bad reputation and a vulnerability that those hostile to the U.S. could capitalize on.
"And that's why I've begun with my staff and Senator Collins, my ranking member, an investigation of not just this episode. I want to give the Secret Service Director Sullivan, the Office of Professional Responsibility some space to conduct its investigation of what happened in Cartagena," Lieberman said on Fox.
Leiberman and others are asking questions about the culture of the Secret Service, and wondering if this is an isolated incident or something more.

Lieberman added, "But we're going to send them some questions this week as the beginning of our broader investigation, asking whether there was any -- whether this was an exception, or is there anything in the records that show this is a pattern of misconduct that has gone elsewhere by Secret Service agents on assignment, but off-duty? Why wasn't it noticed if that was the case? What's the Secret Service going to do to make sure it never happens again?"

So far, 22 members of the Secret Service and military have been implicated and six Secret Service agents have been forced out.